First Fears
by Rosa241
Summary: It was supposed to be a nice quiet visit to see Ruth and Grant. A nice happy summer visiting the grandparents but alas it wasn't to be. Then again is life ever easy for our favourite family? I think not!
1. Round the bend

**Hello world of Thunderbird lovers I'm back again with another part of my growing series, although admittedly it isn't growing nearly as fast as I would like it to but that's down to my job getting in the way! If only I could win the lottery. Add into that the fact that I've been going through a…shall we call it a lazy period? Yes let's call it a lazy period! Anyway thanks to said lazy period I didn't get nearly as much writing done as I had hoped (scratch that I got virtually nothing done!). However I'm back now.**

 **Anyhow it was mentioned in Friends Till the end that poor tortured abused Alan (and that doesn't change here I'm sure you're pleased to know) was afraid of water. How did that happen? How did that start? Well read on dear readers, read on!**

 **This is set before Friends Till the end.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **Summary: It was supposed to be a nice quiet visit to see Ruth and Grant. A nice happy summer visiting the grandparents but alas it wasn't to be. Then again is life ever easy for our favourite family? I think not!**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **By Rosa241**

 **General POV**

Like most parents Jeff loved his kids. He'd do anything for them and would fly to the ends of the earth for them in a heartbeat if he needed to. They were his children, his whole world and at the end of the day they were all that mattered. He had the business of course but when push came to shove those boys came first. Raising five boys single handed wasn't easy but he loved his sons and ultimately they made the long boring hours at the office worth it. Thinking about those five loving boys made him smile no matter what. At least they usually did, right now however his thoughts were less than pleasant.

 _I swear to God if we don't get out of this car shortly I am going to kill them all!_ Jeff thought to himself as he sat waiting at the traffic lights. _This things been on red for at least a year now! It's broken it has to be!_

"Gordon I swear to god if you don't shut up I am going to reach back there and smack the red out of your hair!" Scott huffed for what had to be he thousandth time. At 16 years old the boy was growing up far too rapidly for Jeff to be truly comfortable with.

Every day Scott seemed to prove more and more that he was becoming an amazing young adult. Truth be told his oldest had been forced to grow up pretty rapidly following the death of his mother. Not that he'd forced him to mind, no Jeff had made it clear to his oldest time and time again that he didn't expect him to take care of everyone but there was no telling that boy. Of course all of his boys had inherited that famous stubbornness that had driven his parents crazy so there **really** was no telling that boy. That thought tore him. One the one hand he was incredibly proud to have a 16 year old who was so mature and so loving but on the other hand it made him sad to think of what he'd missed out on.

"You shouldn't swear Scott that's against the rules." Gordon said and Jeff didn't need to see his second youngest to imagine the smirk that was currently lying on his face. If there was one thing that boy loved more than anything it was driving his older brothers round the twist and he was, unfortunately, extremely good at it. He seemed to get an immense satisfaction with winding them up. Currently he was going through rather an awkward phase and had been far worse than usual. Right now he was testing as many boundaries as he could and one of them seemed to be just how far he could push his brothers before they flipped. It was a lesson he'd quickly learned with Virgil. A painful lesson.

A few months ago Gordon had decided that Virgil was the perfect target and had spent day after day, hour after hour driving the almost 12 year old round the bend. Unfortunately for the red head his brother had been having a particularly difficult time at school curtesy of a few bullies. Finding out about the bullying had made Jeff think twice about sending his boys to a school that catered for 11 to 18 year olds. The school had an amazing reputation however and there was no doubt it would be the best place for his sons education. Virgil had finally completed his first year there. From the start it had been clear that he wasn't happy, for a while Jeff had thought that it was simply because the boy didn't enjoy school. Whereas John, and Scott to an extent, enjoyed learning Virgil was much more at home arm deep in paint or sitting at a piano. He hated being stuck inside and was much more of a practical person. Eventually though it had become clear that this was a bigger problem but the boy wouldn't talk. It wasn't until Gordon decided to pick Virgil for target practice that he finally snapped. The black eye he'd given his younger brother had taken several weeks to go down.

He'd been furious at first until he'd seen the look in his sons eyes. It had taken Gordon picking on his brother for his middle child to finally snap and when that happened the wall that he'd built came tumbling down. Virgil had finally admitted to his dad that he was being bullied. Needless to say that Jeff had been furious and instantly planned to march into school the next morning and sort it out. That's exactly what he did. Looking back he supposed he really had taken it a bit too far in that meeting with the Principal but when it came to the safety of his boys in reality there was no step too far. Leaving the meeting with the Principals tail set firmly between his legs had felt good, he knew full well there would be severe consequences, he'd felt like he'd made a difference. Then he'd walked through the front yard and witnessed his sons in action.

Deep down he knew that telling John and Scott what had been going on before getting it sorted was a bad idea. Seeing his normally placid second born sitting on top of a much larger boy who not only had a bloody nose but looked like he about ready to cry whilst his oldest had a second in a headlock was not how he planned to spend his morning. As angry as he was, and trust me there was plenty of anger, Jeff knew that the beating those boys received had more of an impact than anything the school would have said to them. Since then the bullies seemed to have left his musical genius alone, largely through fear of what Scott and John would do if they didn't and things had rapidly improved.

Looking over at his star boy Jeff held back a laugh. John had insisted, despite his fathers warning, on reading for the majority of the journey. They'd been forced to pull over a few miles back when the inevitable happened and he'd started feeling increasingly sick. Switching places with Scott to sit in the front had helped ease the nausea (thank you God because he really didn't feel like clearing vomit from the seats) but that had brought his oldest into striking distance of the family clown. Naturally he knew that the 16 year old would never do anything to physically harm his brother but that boy could, and very often did, try the patience of a saint. Now Scott didn't have the patience of a saint on a good day let alone after spending most of the day trapped in a car.

It was for that sole reason that the car seating plan had been introduced. Scott and Gordon needed to be as far away from each other as possible, the further the distance the less chance of trouble. It wasn't that the two didn't love and care for each other but putting Scott and Gordon together in a confined space was just asking for trouble. Having Gordon sit with Virgil would have produced the same result, especially given that the read head was both sour about the black eye and wary of getting another one. In the end it was the youngest who settled it. His baby, much like his troublesome companion, struggled to be in a confined space for too long. At four years old he was constantly on the go and hated long journeys with a passion. Putting Gordon in the back with Alan meant that they could entertain each other for hours without driving everyone else crazy. That meant Scott upfront, as far away from Gordon as possible, and left Virgil and John together in the middle. Since Virgil slept most of the way and John had read there really was no trouble, at least up until John had moved to the front.

"One more word out of you Gordon one more word!" As the argument continued Jeff sighed with relief as the red light finally turned green.

 _At last!_

* * *

 **And I believe that's all you need for now. So Jeff and the boys are headed to visit good old Grandma and Grandpa Tracy and, like all kids, they're driving him insane in the car.**

 **Just what have they got in stall for him during their visit? Well I'm sure it's going to be an interesting one any way. Until next time. Bye bye!**


	2. Nighttime Talks

**And I'm back folks. I hope you're all enjoying this and I'm pleased to see I haven't kept you waiting for months as I usually do. Being as I'm making an effort to be far more organised that I usually am I hope that this has an impact on how often I can update.**

 **Anyway on with the show…**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **By Rosa241**

 **Jeff POV:**

I can't help chuckle as I watch the smirk crossing my mothers face and the pout currently covering my fathers. Those two may be elderly but sometimes they act just like the boys. Looking at my fathers pout I'm reminded of Alan and another bubble of laughter escapes.

"Well that will teach you to try and steal my cookies. These are for the boys." Dad scowls as he rubs the hand she struck with the wooden spoon just moments before. There's a glint in her eyes as she plates up the cookies and puts them out of reach. Shaking his head dad turns to me as he speaks.

"So how're those boys really doing?" Rolling my eyes at his questioning I can't help but smile. All the years I was growing up he called mother a worry wort but as soon as his grandsons came along he was exactly the same.

"They're fine. Gordon's still a little sour about the black eye but he'll be fine in a little while."

"I hate to say it but a black eye might teach that boy a little about restraint. Lord knows he finds torturing those brothers of his far too enjoyable sometimes." _And don't I know it._ Part of me wants to defend Gordon but deep down I know my dad's words ring true. Gordon's not a mean person in any way shape or form, he'd never intentionally hurt anyone. Heaven only knows how upset he'd been when he'd found out what was going on with Virgil at school. The 10 year old just doesn't know when to call it quits sometimes but he'll learn.

"Virgil's gotten over Gordon's teasing and he's starting to get over the bullying too. Honestly I think the summer couldn't come soon enough for him, a break from school and a break from what's happened is exactly what he needs." Both my parents scowl as they're reminded of the heartache my middle child has been through recently.

"I presume those boys are leaving him alone." My mothers sharp tone leaves me in no doubt of her thoughts on the situation.

"Both of them were suspended for two weeks and thankfully they've left Virgil alone since coming back. Although truth be told I think that's got more to do with the beating they got from Scott and John than from being suspended." Mom's eyes are still hard and no doubt she's disapproving silently at the thought of the violence that took place. It's no secret that she's never approved of violence no matter what. Dad on other hand smirks devilishly as he mutters a sharp 'good' which is, thankfully, not picked up on by moms keen ears.

"At least its over." She mutters as she wanders out of the room and heads upstairs.

It's late now and the boys have all been in bed for a while. Alan had managed to make it a few minutes past his normal bedtime before his yawns had finally gotten the better of him. Mom had whisked him straight upstairs and took great pleasure in tucking him into bed. Considering the amount of time she'd been up there I'm fairly certain she'd spent time watching him sleep before finally coming back down.

Gordon had been the next to drop and had actually managed to fall asleep on his Grandfather before he'd been ordered upstairs. Virgil hadn't been long to follow which was no surprise given how much the little musician liked his sleep. John had finally given in an hour ago, after the stars came out of course, and Scott had headed up with him. I know full well that Scott only went up so that he would have enough time to check on his younger brothers before sleep took over him as well. Truth be told I'm not far off needing to head up to sleep myself but it's been nice. Usually this is the time when I miss Elizabeth the most, when the boys are asleep and I'm left by myself.

"Stupid John." The voice of my oldest brings me out of my thoughts and back to the present.

"What are you doing up kiddo?" Dad's about the only person who can still get away with calling the sixteen year old 'kiddo'. Most of the time the use of that word got you a sharp glare and a swift reminder that he was sixteen and practically an adult.

"I'll give you three guesses and your first two don't count." He sighs as he wanders over to the sink and pours himself a glass of water.

"John." Dad and I say in tandem. John was the only one in the family who had taken after my mother in terms of snoring. He'd always been the same ever since he was a toddler.

"I swear he's part pneumatic drill or something." I can't help chuckling despite the frown on my oldest sons face. "It's not natural. No one should make that sound."

"Your grandmothers been making that sound ever since I married her." It's true. For as long as I could remember my mother has snored away at night, quite how dad ever gets any sleep is beyond me.

"Well you could always have switched with Virgil and shared with the kids." Dad's snort of laughter is nothing more than explosive at the thought of Scott and Gordon sharing a bedroom. Even if only for a week.

"Me and Gordon in a bedroom together for a whole week? Are you looking to lose a son because I may actually kill him one of these days." I can't help smiling at that. Scott's all talk, he'd never do anything to actually hurt any of his brothers. "You can smile all you want but it's true. The more time I spend with him the more I want to ring his annoying little neck."

Sighing I can see the hint of truth in Scott's words. Of course he wouldn't hurt Gordon but that doesn't mean he's not getting fed up with his brothers actions of late. I've spoken to him of course but right now he's going through an awkward phase and is doing anything and everything to disobey me. Lord knows I've grounded him enough times lately. Problem is Gordon just isn't getting the message, he's always been the same. He'll push and push until someone snaps and things get out of hand. Even then all he does is switch targets, what it's going to take to get through to him is beyond me. As if reading my mind dad speaks.

"He's really being that annoying huh?" Scott sighs and nods his head.

"He's even driving John crazy and star boy has the patience of a saint." Dad scowls at the nickname before speaking again.

"Why don't you let me talk to him?" Truth be told Gordon is a carbon copy of my uncle Richard, dad's younger brother, and the red head worshipped the ground his grandfather walked on. If anyone stood a chance at getting through to Gordon it was his grandfather. "Leave it with me. I'll get through to the boy."

 **Scott POV:**

Okay so now I remember why John and I stopped sharing a room. His snoring is just not normal, I swear to god there's something wrong with him there just has to be. Thankfully I'd managed to get to sleep in the end and managed to stay asleep. Usually I was the first up, after dad of course, but today I could already hear the patter of feet downstairs. Making the most of the extended lie in I rolled over and closed my eyes.

For a while I allow myself to drift into a light sleep and relax. Schools been a nightmare since I found out about Virgil's bullying, thankfully it seems like mine and John's message had gotten through to them and they've left him alone. That doesn't mean I'm haven't been worried about him. I've pretty much spent every minute with both eyes on my younger brother, between that and the insane amount of homework we got towards the end of the year I'm basically exhausted. It's over now though and I can't help but smile to myself. Weeks of nothing but rest and relaxation.

The sound of the door opening breaks me from my thoughts and I look up just in time to see a familiar blond blur race onto the bed.

"Scotty!" He yells as he jumps onto the bed and lands firmly, and quite accidentally, on my chest.

"What?" I breathe out as he wiggles slightly.

"Grandma says you have to get up now." Silently cursing my grandmother I can't help but sigh, so much for peace and quiet. "Gordie was gonna come and jump on you but dad sent me instead." Sending a silent thank you to my father I sit up, grabbing hold of the four year old as he tumbles off of me. Having Gordon land on me would have been much more painful.

"Alright alright. Let's go." Scooping up the four year oId I place him on the floor before stretching and stepping out of bed. "Time for breakfast sprout."

As we walk out of the room his tiny hand takes hold of mine and I can't help smiling as I wrap my fingers around him. Sometimes having four younger brothers sucks but sometimes it's so worth it.

"I see you finally joined the land of the living. Nice hair." Scowling at Virgil's words I get Alan seated before leaning over and giving the musician a good slap. "Ow!"

"That's what you get for disrespecting your elders." He glares slightly but I can see the grin fighting to break out. It's so nice to see him happy. Everything with the bullying left him so depressed and scared that it made my heart break. No one deserves to be treated the way that he had been recently, my only hope is that those morons remember my message and leave him alone. Glancing round at the rest of my family I can't help smiling.

Virgil turns back to John and they continue arguing about something I've clearly missed. I can hear Dad and Grandma laughing in the kitchen as Gordon talks Grandpa's ear off about swimming yet again. I'm pretty sure that they had the same conversation when we arrived yesterday not that Gramps would let on if that were true. Alan, despite having only just gotten to the table, has managed to get himself elbow deep in syrup and is making a rather spectacular mess. Shaking my head I take my own seat, thankfully not next to Alan, and dig in.

"So what's the plan for today?" Dad questions as he joins us. Taking one look at Alan he sighs before grabbing the tissue's Grandma offers. "Alan sweetie you're supposed to be eating the pancakes not dressing yourself in them."

"Grandpa said I have to help him with something really special today." Sensing the question about to erupt from John I give him a quick kick before shaking my head. Although he glares at me he gets the message and says no more. Thankfully John's knows enough to recognise when it's best to let something go. If Gramps can get through to Gordon then it'd help everyone. The only person whose nerves he not currently jumping all over is Alan's which isn't really saying much given that I'm pretty sure that Gordon could do anything and it wouldn't get on the kids nerves.

"What about the rest of you?" Dad says attempting to steer the conversation away from Gordon's words.

"Hadn't really thought about it. What do you guys want to do?" John shrugs his shoulders and, like always, sits himself on the fence. Sometimes I really wish he'd make a decision. Virgils eyes are firmly glued to the window and in an instant I know that whatever we do it'll be outside. Truth be told I wouldn't mind getting out there myself.

"Well I believe a certain little boy promised me that he was going to help me make that cake today." Alan's happy smile is certainly contagious and he's practically bouncing up and down in his chair. _Maybe syrup on his pancakes was a bad idea…_

"Yup! We're gonna make a chocolate cake and it's gonna have sprinkles and marshmallows and…lots of other stuff too!" Beside him I can see Dad fighting back a groan which makes me smile. This place will look like a bombs gone off by the time Alan and Grandma are done with it. Alan could make a mess in an empty house, letting him lose with baking ingredients was asking for trouble. So long as I'm not the one clearing him up I don't rightly care how much mess he makes.

"Maybe we can head down to the pond?" Virgil finally offers as his gaze filters out to the window once more.

 _Now that sounds like a plan._

* * *

 **A bit of a slow chapter, to be honest I'm not very happy with it, but staring at it won't make it better. Things will definitely pick up next chapter I promise.**

 **Until then,**

 **Bye x**


	3. Setting things straight

**Okay so here we are again. I apologise for the delay but I broke my laptop and have only just been able to afford to get a new one. Not only did I have to wait to get one but I lost all the progress I had on my old one. Anyway let's try this again.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three  
By Rosa241**

 **Scott POV:**

 _Okay so this was definitely a better way to spend the day._

When we'd been arguing this morning about what to do we'd eventually agreed on coming down to the pond. Of course my idea had been to head off into town but John had won out. Star boy may be the quiet one in the family but dear lord is he stubborn. He was right though. Skipping rocks and generally lazing about wins over trekking into town and fighting through crowds.

"Ha! 9! Beat that one." Of course we couldn't just hang out we'd ended up making it into a competition, one that John was currently winning.

"Okay first of all that skipped 8 times not 9, learn to count bro." Naturally John does the very mature thing and sticks his tongue out at Virgil's words. _Nice bro._ "And second of all it doesn't count."

"Wait why?" Shaking his head the 11 year old pointed to the line in the ground he'd drawn earlier.

"You crossed the line. That means it doesn't count."

"I so did not cross the line!" Biting my lip I find it hard not to comment on how much Virgil looks like Grandma right now as he folds his arms and tuts.

"You completely did. Your giant oaf feet went _**way**_ over the line." As the two continue to argue something pops into my mind. I think this might be the first time in a long while that I've actually seen Virgil really smiling. Ever since the bullying Virgil has been so down in the dumps that it almost hurt to watch him. Even after it all came out and Dad put things right with the principal (and John and I had our own conversation) he was still so worried. Watching him chewing his bottom lip and worrying over what might happen that day was harrowing.

"Ow! What the heck?" Clutching the back of my head I glared at my younger brothers. "Who threw the damn rock!?"

"Language!" They chorus with a joint smirk.

"Who threw the rock?" They share an amused look before both shrugging.

"No idea. Didn't see a thing." I choose to send a glare John's way, I know it was him. "However since we finally have your attention…are you actually going to take your turn now?"

Rubbing the spot at the back of my head I manage to glare at the blond annoyance once more, _I know it was him,_ before grabbing the rock out of his hands. Turning back towards the pond I hear the fake whispering.

"I think he's losing it in his old age." _Star boy I swear to god._

"Must be going senile." _Oh Virgil not you too._

"Definitiely senile. We might have to start thinking about putting him down." _That's it._

"Alright!" As I spin back to face them they both attempt, and fail, to conceal the grins cross their lips. "John I'd use your next comment wisely since it'll be the last one you get before I beat you into next week. And Virgil…don't listen to this moron."

The snort of laughter Virgil releases is worth a look that promises payback from my blond brother.

 _It's nice to see him happy again._

 **Grant POV:**

When I'd insisted on Gordon coming with me this morning he'd been so happy but now I think he's regretting it. Of course I knew that he would be more than happy to come along. He was too young to notice the hidden agenda behind my actions. The young lad is a happy soul and loves to have fun which isn't a problem at all but when it comes at the expense of his brothers…then we have a problem.

"How much longer Grandpa?" Chuckling at his whine I can't help but ruffle his hair.

"This is the last stop munchkin. We'll get going in a minute." He sighs in what I assume is relief before going back to fiddling with his watch. Before long I've finally managed to locate the right screws, why Don insists on rearranging this place every five minutes is beyond me, and we're finally back on our way.

As we set off back towards home it's obvious to me that the kid is bored. Good. Lord knows that boy can be hard to get through to when he's excited.

"How's your eye feeling?" He doesn't look at me when I ask but I can see the angry look cross his face.

"Virgil's a jerk." Truth be told I don't think he meant for me to hear that.

"Oh is he now?" He winces slightly as he realises I've heard him and shrugs his shoulders.

"It was just a joke."

"To you. It was a joke to you but I don't think your brother saw it that way." I can tell from the way that he doesn't respond to me right away that he knows I'm right.

"He didn't have to hit me though." And that right there was the problem. Gordon was so sour about the black eye he wasn't going to be able to see the truth in anyone's words.

"Now that's true. Punching you in the face was not the way to deal with this." Hearing that I agree with him seems to take some of the anger from his face. "Although…"

"Now you sound like dad." He mutters which brings a smile to my face. Jeff's had this conversation with him but he's not been willing to see the truth. Ignoring his words I continue.

"Although between the bullying and your 'jokes' I guess that he reached the end of his rope pretty quickly." At the mention of the bullying the anger comes back to his face full force. _Don't mess with my grandsons or you'll be dealing with the entire family._

"I hate bully's."

"You and me both kiddo. You and me both." For a while neither of us says anything. Eventually I break the silence. "All bullies do is upset people and make fun of them. They make them feel like they're nothing, like they're worthless…gets people all worked up. I guess Virgil got to the end of his rope."

"Well yeah I guess." Seeing the sheepish look on his face almost makes me smile. _Looks like we're finally getting through to you kiddo._

"You know upsetting people and making fun of them, you've been doing a lot of that lately." He tilts his head at my words, clearly confused. "Yeah your dad and your brothers have been telling me about your jokes and pranks. Honestly I don't think they're finding them funny."

"But they tease me too!" He protests with a stubbornness that could only belong to a Tracy.

"That's true. You all tease each other, it's part of being brothers. There's just one difference between you and your brothers." As we pull into the drive way I catch sight of said brothers wandering round the side of the house. Turning to the little trouble maker I make my words clear. "Your brothers know when to stop. When your brothers tease you and you tell them to stop, do they?"

A sheepish 'yes' comes out of my second youngest grandson as the message hits home.

"And when Virgil told you to stop, did you?" It takes a moment but eventually he shakes his head. "Having fun and teasing your brothers is part of life but you have to know when to quit." Exiting the car I give him time to think over my words.

 **Ruth POV:**

"Oh my word." Looking round at the mess that used to be my kitchen words almost fail me. "Oh. My. Word."

 _We were just making cookies._

 _We only made cookies._

 _How could this much mess happen within such a short space of time?_

Looking at the blond haired monster stood in the centre of the mess I fight back a smile.

 _That's how._

Jeff had warned me this morning that Alan could make a mess in an empty room but I honestly thought he was kidding. All kids are messy especially when they're as young as him. Alan though…I think he wins the award.

"Alright I think I got…holy mother of god what happened in here?" My husbands words bring a smile to my lips. Picking the messy four year old up off the floor we turn to face them.

"We made cookies."

* * *

 **And that's where we leave it. Strange I know. I don't do fluff and happiness, torture and nightmares yes but happiness? No.**

 **Keep your eyes peeled for more fluff and happiness next time…or torture and nightmares…we'll see how kind I'm feeling.**

 **Bye x**


	4. Setting things right

**Woohoo! Massive thanks to whichever one of you lovely people tracked down my inspiration and sent it back to me. It's much appreciated and I definitely needed it. Hope you like the new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four  
By Rosa241**

 **Virgil POV:**

Dropping the wet shirt onto the floor I almost regret spending the day down by the pond. Almost. Don't get me wrong spending the day with John and Scott was awesome but getting pushed into the cold water wasn't the greatest way to end it. There's no way that I deserved that, okay so maybe I'd started it by pushing John first. When Grandma had caught sight of us being so wet she insisted we went straight up and showered before we caught our death. Her words exactly. Of course she completely ignored the fact that it was the middle of summer but never mind.

It's weird seeing everyone together and being so happy. These last few months have been increasingly hard on everyone. Dad's been so busy at work, John and Scott have spent so long trying to watch my back and I'll admit that I've been watching my back ever since Dad went to the Principal. Hanging out together with my brothers is something we haven't done in forever and I'm really glad that we did.

A light knocking on the door takes my attention away from my thoughts.

"Virgil…can I come in?" Honestly it surprises me for a moment that he bothered asking. Technically speaking this is his room too whilst we're staying with Grandma and Grandpa.

"Sure." Things between us have been pretty tense since I punched him in the face. I feel bad about it of course but he was being such and annoying little brat. Then again he didn't know about the bullying so it's not really all his fault although it he hadn't been so annoying. I'm so caught up in my internal argument that I almost don't hear him speak again.

"I'm sorry." He doesn't look at me when he speaks and truth be told I barely hear the words but I do.

"Sorry for what?" The words catch me by such surprise that I have to think about what the heck he's talking about.

"For being mean." Still not looking at me he shrugs his shoulders as he continues. "Grandpa said that I was being mean and…I think I was."

"Yeah you were. You were being a complete jerk." My words come out sharper than I intended and as soon as I see the wince coming from him guilt fills me.

 _He's trying to apologise and all I'm doing Is making him feel even worse._

"I'm sorry." Gordo shrugs again and still doesn't lift his eyes from the floor. _He really feels bad._

"I know. I'm sorry that I punched you, you didn't deserve that." He finally looks at me as I speak and I can see just how guilty he feels. I guess Grandpa really made him see sense.

"I did. I was really mean and you did tell me to stop. I should have listened." _Man Grandpa really did a number of him._

"No you didn't." He seems surprised at my words and it almost makes me smile. "I wasn't just mad at you. I was mad at the bullies too and I think I might have taken it out on you when I totally shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

He shrugs again and almost shrinks away when I pull him into a hug. As much as I know that he hates it I can feel his arms snake around my back. Just like that things are forgotten and we're back to normal.

 **Jeff POV:**

Watching the two of them sitting together is something I honestly didn't think I would see anytime soon yet there they are. Virgil and Gordon not only tolerating being in each others presence but actually talking, yes talking not yelling, and smiling. Making a mental note to thank Dad for whatever he said to my little troublemaker I can't help smiling at them. _Thank the lord that's over._

"So how exactly did Virgil end up in the pond?" I question at my oldest two. John cringes as I speak and Scott simply smirks at the blonde opposite him.

"I might have pushed him in." Always honest John is quick to tell me the truth. "Although in my defence he pushed me first."

"I didn't mean for you to end up in the pond though." My little musician defends himself as the table erupts into a friendly argument between the two over which Scott quickly becomes the referee. Shaking my head at them I turn to my mother and watch as she wipes the sauce off of Alan's mouth.

"Child how you end up so messy is beyond me." She mutters to herself. _I tried to warn her…_

"Mother I tried to warn you about baking with him but you insisted." My mother has always valued her kitchen and keeping it clean is something she prides herself on. The fact that she smiled when my little monster made such a mess is clear that she loves him an incredible amount.

"I just don't understand how a child this small made such a big mess. I'm pretty sure that he's been hiding goblins or something because there is no way that he could make such a mess by himself." Her words draw a laugh from around the table and all of the boys, minus Alan who is elbow deep in spaghetti.

"Grandma, Alan is probably the messiest kid in the entire world. He can make a mess in an empty room." Even after Scott speaks she still shakes her head and mutters about it being 'unbelievable' before turning her attention back to the five year old.

Watching my boys laughing and having fun I can feel the stress of the past few months melting away.

 **Scott POV:**

"Hey Gordo come here." The almost 10 year old hesitates before sighing and stepping outside the house. The night air is cool but far from cold and the stars are so bright I have no doubt that John will probably be out here for a long as he can.

"Virgil told me you apologised before." I can't blame him for being nervous. Lately all our conversations have ended with us arguing or me threatening him, I've never meant it of course and he knows that. Things haven't been easy for us though.

"Well…yeah…" Watching the way that he stands, shrugs his shoulders and mumbles it's almost like looking at a miniture version of Grandpa. Dad was right he really does take after him.

"Look I know the last few months have been kind of hard but you've got to understand when to call it quits." Knowing that's what was said to him this afternoon he winces slightly.

"I know. He did say to stop." Looking at him I can tell just how much Grandpa has hit home and honestly it would probably be cruel to continue going on.

"But you've apologised now so can we call it quits?" He seems shocked at what I'm saying. "Look I'm not saying you haven't been driving me crazy lately but you said sorry so lets just start again."

"I'm sorry I'm so annoying." He sounds so sad I can't help but pull him into a hug. Despite his protests I know that he needs it right now.

"Dude you're my little brother, you're meant to be annoying it's part of your job." Thankfully he manages a smile at this and I can see the guilt in his eyes start to fade. "But in future when someone says stop you have to stop, agreed?"

He nods at my words and leans in for a second hug. _Maybe I've been a little too hard on him lately._

"Can we go back to the pond tomorrow?" The words are muffled by the fact that he has his head buried in my side.

 _Yeah fish, we can do just that._

* * *

 **Aww. Fluff! Yay! After all the angst and he** **artache in my previous story I feel like I owe it to the boys to give them a big dose of brotherly love. Of course that won't last since I enjoy being so mean to them.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Bye x**


	5. Deep Water

**And we're back. Thank you for sticking with me on this. Honestly I've been more worried about posting this story than I was with Friends Till the end. It's just so different but I'm glad you are all enjoying it.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **By Rosa241**

 **Grant POV:**

I've always loved children and it pained me that Ruth and I were never able to have more. There had been so many complications with Jeff that having more just wasn't an option. When Jeff told me I was going to be a grandfather I was thrilled. The day little Scott came into the world was one of the greatest moments of my life. Never did I think we'd be going through that four more times. Although the last was so much different than those before it.

Loosing Elizabeth was hard on my son and my grandsons. There were days when I didn't think they'd make it through. If that little bundle hadn't have survived I don't think Jeff would still be here now. Thankfully the ball of never ending energy had made it through and was making all of our lives far more wonderful because of it.

Scott definitely takes his role as the oldest seriously. Currently he's attempting to keep his eyes the tiniest blond who is giggling as his wind up frog jumps across the ground again. Virgil was sat drawing something intently on the pad on his knee, that boy was far more like his grandmother than I would have thought. John is further back than his brothers, most likely wanting to avoid ending up in the pond again, reading a book. Just like his mother. Gordon was, thankfully, being true to his word and had left the teasing at home. Evidentially his conversation had made an impact.

"What do you think dad?" Jeff's voice brings my attention away from my grandchildren and onto the two adults in front of me. I almost want to groan out loud as I turn back to Arnold.

Arnold Matthews was quite possibly the most boring man I'd ever met. We'd gone to school with each other many years ago but we'd never been close. Don't get me wrong he's a nice enough guy, dear lord is his boring though. I honestly think I'd rather watch paint dry.

"Sorry I didn't catch that." Shaking his head my son repeats his words.

"Arnold was just wondering whether you and Mom felt like heading over to his place for dinner next week." _Oh dear god no!_ No! If there were ever a recipe for disaster then being alone with Arnold and his wife was it. That man was bad enough but his wife was even worse. She was one of those people who didn't ever talk and simply nodded her head. The way she stared at people just sent something weird up my spine. Wasn't right.

"Oh well I'll have to talk to Ruth about that. See if we can manage it." I'll leave the polite decline to her.

"Bet I know how that conversation goes." Jeff's whispered words went, thankfully, unheard by the other man in front of me.

 _I know exactly how that conversation is going to go. A lengthy conversation with the man is hard enough, an entire evening? I think not!_

"ALAN!?"

 **Scott POV:**

Watching over Alan is something that should always been done. Not only is he the messiest kid to have ever existed, he's also prone to wandering off. He hasn't fully learnt yet of the dangers that wandering off can cause. That means of course that keeping your eyes on him is a must.

"Hey!" The shout behind me drags my attention from my youngest brother and onto another one. Looking at the scene I can't help being surprised. Gordon is standing in between Virgil and a kid whose name I don't know looking about ready to kill. Virgil meanwhile is staring between the two of them with a confused expression.

 _What the hell?_

"Alright what's going on?" Virgil simply shrugs as he gets to his feet he sketch pad all but forgotten on the floor. Glancing over at Alan I'm glad to see that he's still where I left him.

"He needs to say sorry now." Gordon's voice is hard and full of anger. It's not like him.

"For what?" The other kid looks almost as perplexed as Virgil at whatevers going on. _What is in your head fish?_

"I didn't do anything!" He protests with an almost yell, his eyes going over to where my dad and grandpa are talking to another man whose name I don't know.

"You need to say sorry." Sensing the anger rolling off of him in waves I quickly step up and pull him backwards.

"Gordo what's going on?" He finally tears his eyes away from the other kid and looks at me.

"He needs to say sorry to Virgil." Virgil holds his hands up as if to say I-have-no-idea.

"What for?" _What the hell?_

"He said he was girly." _Oh._ "He needs to say sorry."

"Girly?" I don't like the way that my other brothers eyes fall to the floor with the word. Evidentially that was a word thrown around a lot by those bullies.

"He said that drawing was for girls and that made Virgil girly." _Ah. Apparently Gordon's gone from teasing Virgil to being way too over protective._

"Did he now?" The other kid seems to squirm as I glare at him and he shuffles slightly.

"I was just saying." His eyes dart over towards where the other man is talking with dad and Grandpa and a thought comes into my mind.

"Well why don't we see what they have to say about that?" I mean to head straight over to them but something tells me to look back. Gazing round my heart drops into my stomach and I go rigid with fear as I catch sight of it.

"Alan?" I whisper as I step forward. _Oh god where the hell is he?_ "ALAN!?"

 **General POV:**

Alan looked back at his dad with a small frown. The grownups were talking now and he knew that it wasn't right to interrupt. Scotty had said that it was rude. Looking round he sighed as he saw his brothers. Scotty, Gordy and Virgil were all busy and John was reading. As his eyes flicked round he caught sight of his toy bopping just below the water.

He hadn't realised that it had come so close to the edge of the pond when he'd been playing.

 _Maybe he could reach it…_

He didn't want to interrupt and be rude but he _really_ wanted his toy back. The frog had been a present from his grandma and he didn't want to lose it. Reaching over the edge of the pond his tiny fingers skipped across the frog before it moved away a little more. Shuffling forward he failed to see just how close he'd dipped to the edge of the pond. His feet were now hanging over the edge and he was precariously close to falling in. Not realising this he reached out fully intent on getting his frog back.

Of course this didn't end well.

Before he could stop himself his tiny body slipped over the edge of the pond and he sank below the water. With his mouth open he managed to swallow a mouthful of pond water before he went under. In his panic he quickly forgot all about the few swimming lessons he'd had and he sank further below the water.

* * *

 **Ahh there's the familiar heartache and angst I'm so comfortable with. It's about time it made reappearance. I've been having withdrawal symptoms to be honest.**

 **Poor Alan!**

 **Will Scott get to him in time? (Not to be a spoil sport but I think you already know the answer to that one)**

 **Until next time,**

 **Bye x**


	6. Watery Eyes

**And we're back! I won't keep you waiting for poor Alan's fate any longer. I felt terrible for leaving him in such a perilous position but it really wouldn't be a Thunderbirds story if I didn't leave things on a terrible cliff hanger.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

 **Watery Eyes**

 **By Rosa241**

 **Scott POV:**

 _Oh god no!_

Racing forward to the water I waste no time in jumping straight in. Thankfully the pond water only comes up to my chest so I can safely stand up. Alan however…

Grabbing the tiny blond whose bobbing below the surface, struggling to break free of the tight hold the water had on him. Pulling him up into my shaking arms he coughs loudly into my chest.

"Alan!" Dad's voice is full of desperation and panic as he hovers at the edge of the pond. Wrapping my arms a little tighter around the shaking, coughing five year old I slowly make my way over to him all the while wary of the water around me. He isn't crying yet although that's probably more to do with the way that right now hacking, painful coughs are forcing their way out of his tiny lungs.

He's pulled out of my arms and into my dads before I can blink. As Dad lifts him up into his arms I watch his tiny body shake with coughs. There are tears dripping down his cheeks now as Grandpa shrugs off his jacket and wraps it around Alan. A hand enters my vision and I'm forced to tear my eyes away from my little brother.

"Come on." John's voice is shaking and as I climb out of the cold water I realise that I am too. "He's fine."

He doesn't believe that.

I can tell.

Wordlessly we make our way back to the house as a black cloud hovers over us. It's only as we head back that I realise just how cold I am as the water settles into my skin.

 _If I'm cold then Alan must be freezing…_

Guilt pours through me as I realise that this was entirely my fault. I was meant to be watching him. I'm supposed to be his big brothers, I'm supposed to protect him and what happened? He almost drowned because of me.

 _I'm sorry Alan…_

We're almost back to the house, Alan's coughing and crying following us the whole way, when I feel the first spots of rain on my skin. The heavens open just as we make it through the front door only to be met with Grandma's stunned face.

"What in the world happened?"

 **Jeff POV:**

Alan is still shaking as I wrap him up warm in the blanket my mother provided. Part of me wants to believe that it's because he's cold but I know differently. He's not shaking because of the cold, the warm shower and dry clothes helped to combat that, no he's shaking for another reason.

Fear.

Almost drowning will put the fear of god into just about anyone let alone a five year old whose too small and young to fully understand things. He'd almost pitched a fit when we stepped into the bathroom and I knew then a bath was out of order. As much as I wanted to warm him up there was no way he was going willingly into a bath tub full of water. Getting him into a shower was hard enough and only my going in with him was able to calm him down enough.

Thankfully now he was warm and safe.

I keep telling myself that as the memory of Scott's scream echoes through my mind.

" _ALAN!?"_

Shaking it off I lift my baby into my arms which thankfully stops his trembling somewhat. Knowing that he won't sleep yet, and not wanting to leave him alone, I bypass the bedroom and head downstairs. Unsurprisingly I find six faces waiting for me the moment I step into the room. My mother rushes over with tears in her eyes and tries desperately to ensure that Alan is still safe and sound. I'm fairly certain the only reason Gordon doesn't race over is because he's sat in between John and Grandpa, the latter of which has a pretty good grip on his arm. Virgil wastes no time in stepping over. His keen eyes take in all of the details of his baby brother before he sighs in what I assume to be relief before his body relaxes somewhat.

"I'll go get dinner started." My mother finally removes herself from Alan and leaves to the kitchen. My dad follows her and I know that she'll need a few minutes to calm herself down before she can come back out. Dinner is just an excuse so the kids don't need to see her upset. As soon as dad leaves the room Gordon forgoes any thought of staying seated and races over to my side.

"Is he okay?" His voice is small and it doesn't match my little trouble maker in any way shape or form.

"He's going to be fine. Just a little shaken up." As I speak Alan snuggles into my chest slightly before releasing a little sigh. Movement catches my eye and, to my surprise, my oldest stalks out of the room without so much as looking at Alan.

 _What on earth…_

 **John POV:**

Watching Scott leave the room earlier set something aside in me. I can tell by the look on his face that he feels guilty. Not that he should since he saved Alan and all. None of us noticed that he was gone, we were all to busy with something else to notice.

Then again he was the one watching him…

Scott was the one who was meant to be keeping his eyes on Alan after all. Not that it makes it his fault or anything. He can't be expected to watch over him 24 hours a day. We all should have been keeping an eye on him. We know how easily Alan can get distracted, it's hardly news he has a habit of getting hurt whenever he's left alone.

I'd tried to talk to him but he brushed me off. He does this when he gets angry or upset. Pushes everyone away and tries to deal with everything by himself. I hate that-

A sudden scream cuts off my thoughts instantly Scott and I are both out of bed. We're barely out of the room before the sound of hysterical sobbing reaches my ears.

Alan.

As we step into the other room Virgil has already got Alan wrapped in his arms while a tearful Gordon stands off to the side, not sure of what to do. Scott goes to our baby brother whilst I head straight for the other. As much as I want to comfort the tiny blond Gordon needs someone as well. Seconds after I've pulled the red head into my chest the door opens again as Dad steps through.

* * *

 **And there we go.**

 **Okay I officially do not like this chapter but every time I change it I keep making it worse. I've delayed posting it long enough and I seriously don't think I'm going to like it if I keep staring at it. It's not that I think it's bad I just don't like reading it. It doesn't flow properly to me, honestly it reads as if I've forced it out which I really don't like.**

 **Hopefully I'll like the next chapter better.**


	7. Dark Dreams

**And we're back once again. So what has poor Alan so upset? And who will talk to sense into Scott? Also how mean can I get? Well lets see shall we!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

 **Dark Dreams**

 **By Rosa241**

 **Alan POV:**

 _Dark…_

 _It's too dark…_

 _Where are they?_

 _Where's daddy?_

 _Why aren't they here?_

 _No one's helping me._

 _It gets darker and darker the further down I go._

 _I can't get out._

 _Please help me._

"Aaah!" It's too dark.

Why is it so dark?

I want daddy!

Someone pulls me into their chest and I grab on as tight as I can. Don't leave me. Please don't leave me.

 **Jeff POV:**

The sound of Alan's crying is still echoing through my mind. Listening to him screaming is more than enough to keep me awake for a life time. Thankfully Virgil had been there quickly to wrap Alan up and try to help him. As had Scott. Unfortunately it didn't make a great deal of difference. He was too shook up and too scared to deal with the nightmare that he'd suffered. It took almost an hour before he stopped crying and even then he shook for most of the night as the memories plagued his young mind.

If there's anything more terrifying than waking up to the sound of your baby screaming in terror I don't ever want to find out.

The rest of the night had been spent curled up into my chest as he shook. I honestly don't think he managed to go back to sleep after he woke up. He spent the rest of the night shaking in my bed forcing himself to wake up every time his eyes closed. My poor baby is too scared to go to sleep and so exhausted now that he can barely keep his eyes open.

Looking round most of the room is struggling to keep their eyes open. Truth be told I don't think anyone slept well after finally returning to bed last night. None of us really know what to do now. We can reassure him all we want but we can't stop nightmares from happening. This will just take time.

"Alright why don't we find a nice movie to pop in?" Dad's suggestion, combined with John and Virgil's fake enthusiasm, is enough to get Gordon to tear his eyes away from his younger brother. Giving my dad I smile we usher the boys through to the living room and deposit Alan onto the couch. Dad sits on the other side of him and it doesn't surprise me that he instantly curls into him.

After a short, but quiet, argument the boys settle on Hercules and before long the sounds of the film fill the room. Before long the boys are pulled into the Disney film, it's no surprise that Mum and Dad had a draw full of Disney films. The boys all have a soft spot for them and no matter what they're always going to work to grab their attention. Thankfully the film manages to ease the tension in everyone's shoulders and for the first time since Alan woke up we all manage to start relaxing a little.

Even Alan relaxes into his grandfathers side and I can see his eyes beginning to droop. I know that sleeping in the middle of the afternoon won't help him fall asleep tonight but he's exhausted. His body needs to rest and if he can finally grab some sleep I'll happily sit up with him tonight.

 _Of course if he has another nightmare…_ Forcing that thought from my mind I urge myself to think positively. Maybe this was just a one time thing.

As the film continues I can feel my own body finally starting to relax and everyone seems to start unwinding.

Except for one.

Before long Scott, whose eyes have been glued to Alan since we came into the room, finally tears his gaze away and shoots out of the door. Sharing a look with my dad he wraps an arm around my youngest who sighs but doesn't stir at the shift in position and I quickly follow my oldest out of the door.

 **Scott POV:**

 _This is all my fault._

Sitting there watching my baby brother trying to stop himself falling asleep purely because of me is torture. If I hadn't been so stupid then he wouldn't have fallen into the pond. If I'd been paying attention then he'd be fine right now. He won't sleep because he's too scared of the nightmares he's going to have. No one else has slept either because they're all too worried about what might happen to him.

 _This is all my fault._

How can I sit in there watching a film with them when I know that I'm to blame for all of this? How can I pretend that everything's okay when my little brother almost died because of me?

I'm meant to be his oldest brother. I'm supposed to be the one who protects him. My job is to make sure that he's alright but instead what do I do?

Almost get him killed.

"When are you going to stop blaming yourself?" My dad's voice makes me jump for I'd been so into my internal tirade that I hadn't realised he'd joined me out here.

"What do I have to blame myself for? Huh?" I know that he won't appreciate the sarcasm or anger in my voice but I really don't have it in me to care right now. "It's not like my baby brother almost died because I was too busy to pay attention to him? Oh wait!"

"Scott this isn't down to you." _Oh please._

"Really? Seriously? You're going to go down that road? It _is_ my fault because the last time I checked I was the one who was meant to be watching over him. I was the one who was supposed to be taking care of him and I failed. I failed and he could have died. He could have died!"

Quite what I was expecting him to do right now I don't know. Yell at me maybe? Blame me? I don't know. Pulling me into a hug wasn't it though. Despite my attempts at drawing away he doesn't let me. Before long tears are building in my eyes and I'm at a loss to keep them at bay. Within seconds they're breaking free and I can feel them running down my cheeks and soaking into my dads shirt.

"Shhh…It's alright…" The comforting hand rubbing circles on my back only makes it worse. I don't deserve this.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" I can feel him shake his head at my words.

"Listen to me Scott. There's only one person who should be feeling guilty for this whole thing. You know who that is?" I want so desperately to say myself but I know that's not going to help. "The only person who needs to feel guilty is me."

 _Wait what?_

Before I can ask him what he's talking about, before I can protest at all he's continuing to talk and I can't help but listen.

"I'm your father. I'm the one who's supposed to be looking after you all. It's not your job to watch over them all of the time. You're a teenager. I know you like to think you're an adult but you're not. You aren't responsible for all the bad things that happen." The tone in his voice is enough to almost make me believe him. Almost. "If I'd been doing my job as your father then this wouldn't have happened. Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault."

Standing there I can hear the sense in his words but nothing makes a difference right now. Maybe in the light of day I'll be ready to take it in but right now all I can think of is pulling him out of that water.

 _He could have died._

* * *

 **Awww! Poor Scott. He's blaming himself well no longer, super Jeff to the rescue!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Bye x**


	8. Brighter Skies

**Hello! We're finally here. It's time for the boys to come home! Happy new year!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

 **Brighter skies**

 **By Rosa241**

 **Jeff POV:**

Settling Alan into his car seat he manages a small smile and a wave at his grandparents who are frantically waving from the porch. Scott slides in next to him and I almost want to sigh. Since our conversation three days ago it seemed like he was ready to actually let go of the misplaced guilt. Apparently not…Truthfully I should have expected this. My oldest is nothing if not incredibly stubborn and it'll take some time before he lets this one go. Thankfully the guilt seems to be waning and it won't be long before he see's sense.

Speaking of Alan…

My baby is slowly improving as well. He's starting to get back to his normal self and no doubt he'll recover from this with time. Of course it'll be a while but he'll bounce back. Kids have a way of recovering so I know that he'll be fine with time. So long as we all keep our eyes on him of course.

"Alright that looks like everything." Turning back to my parents it pains me to leave and, not for the first time, I find myself wondering whether or not moving away was the right idea. After losing Elizabeth I'd considered moving back but deep down I knew that was a bad idea. The boys were settled where we are. They're in school and happy so it makes no sense uprooting them for my own desires. That doesn't make leaving now any easier.

"Well you make sure you call me as soon as you get back home. I mean the very second." Giving me a knowing look I almost shrink back. Last time we'd gotten stuck in traffic for hours and by the time we'd gotten back home I clean forgot to call her. No one wanted a repeat of the panicked phone call I'd received, she was too old to be worrying so much.

"Don't worry I'll call. If not then I'm sure the boys will remind me." Hugging her I can feel how tight her arms are and again that pain returns.

"And boy you remember what we talked about." For a moment I wonder what he's saying before realising his words are directed towards Gordon whose nodding from the front seat. I know my water child won't forget his words any time soon.

"Alright lets get on the road. The sooner we get going the sooner we'll be back home." Remember the nightmare that had happened on the way here I almost want to cringe.

 **Scott POV:**

Thinking back over the week we've had makes me sad to leave. I wish we could see them more often. As bad as the week started it ended a lot better. It was almost enough to make me forget about that horror story. Almost.

"And then Virgil tipped the whole bag over Scotts head." Hearing Gordons words from the front makes me smile.

I remember that.

The food fight.

It was the second time that Grandma's kitchen had ended up looking like a tornado had blown through it. Although this time Alan wasn't responsible, at least not completely.

 _Flashback:_

" _Dude!" John exclaimed as he glanced at the buttery hand print that now covered the front of his shirt. "Seriously?"_

" _Sorry." Judging from the expression on Gordon's face he was anything but sorry. Virgil giggles from my side which causes the blond to turn his head._

" _You think this is funny!? Alright what about this then?" Dunking both hands into the bowl of flour John vigorously rubs it through Virgil's hair before standing back with a wicked grin._

" _Oh it is on star boy!" Before long the kitchen is covered in flour and various other ingredients that are strewn about the floor and the walls…and the door…oops._

 _End flashback_

Thankfully Grandma had seen the funny side, of course that was after she'd made us clean the entire kitchen. Then of course there was last nights Disney marathon.

After Grandpa had discovered that watching the Disney films had helped Alan to fall asleep he'd suggested we watch one before he went to bed. Thankfully it helped and although he stopped waking up screaming he was still waking up. The bad dreams didn't go away but the films helped in their own way.

We'd started with Finding Nemo which had turned into a bad idea since Alan had been far from ready to sleep once it was over. Apparently watching a film about being lost under the sea was a bad idea when you'd had a close call with water a few days before. Oops. Thankfully watching Robin Hood had taken his mind off of it and before long he'd drifted off. John had quickly declared third times a charm and popped in Hercules before anyone could protest.

Truth be told it was a good week, at least it turned into one. Maybe next time we'll avoid the pond though.

 **General POV:**

As the family drove back to their home on that Sunday morning you'd never have guessed the drama that had unfolded that week.

Sitting in the front seat with his dad Gordon delighted in informing him of the chaotic mess that had been the boys attempts at baking with their grandmother. Jeff of course had heard the tale already but was more than thrilled to hear his sons grand version of events. Now that they had made up Virgil had no trouble chiming in to back up his younger brother when John attempted to give the real (also known as boring) version of the tale. Sometimes John simply had no imagination.

Once their brothers tales had grown old the two boys in the middle seat both took to their own adventures. Having taken his fathers warnings into account, and in no way keen to repeat the events of the first journey, John placed on his headphones and listened to a book on tape his grandmother had given him. Virgil however settled back and watched the world go by. As much as he liked to be on the go sometimes he found it nice to sit and watch the world.

In the backseat Alan sat snoozing away happy to be nightmare free. Now that the young boy was away from the pond that had haunted his nightmares there was no longer the danger of it creeping up on him. As such his dreams were safe once again. Of course even if they weren't he was being carefully watched over by his oldest brother. Scott kept a careful eye on his baby brother all throughout the journey and with every peaceful breath the guilt still laying within him withered just a little.

All was well.

* * *

 **And there we are!**

 **I have no idea where this came from but hey ho it's written!**

 **I shan't leave it so long again to gift you some more thunderbirds adventures. I will be back with a brand new adventure for our boys.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Bye x**


End file.
